The Best Black Friday Deals

This time of year, discounts pretty much run the gamut, from clothes and jewelry to toys and housewares. But it’s electronics that continue to stand out the most, especially big flat-screen televisions. Almost everyone has one by now, yet they keep coming. Stores need to do what’s necessary to clean out inventory. If you’re still in box TV mode, or if you just want an extra flat screen for the basement, it’s a good time to pounce. Target, BJ’s Wholesale and other outlets are discounting them by hundreds of dollars.

Most of the best deals, not surprisingly, come from the biggest retailers. For them, steep discounts are bait used to draw crowds of people to the store, where hopefully they will spend money on full-priced items too. We scoured America’s 50 largest retailers – supermarkets and pharmacies excluded – in search of the best deals.

The biggest savings we found: a Nikon 1 digital camera at Wal-Mart knocked down to $399 from $649; an Asus 15.6-inch laptop at Staples dropped from $649 to $449; and a Sharp LED 60-inch television at BJ’s Wholesale that’s going for $1,699, down $500. On the non-electronics front: a home gym set at Dick’s Sporting Goods marked down $800 to $3,199, and an Armani dress at Neiman Marcus that’s being discounted almost $600, to $897.

In the increasingly competitive Christmas sales game, Black Friday has evolved from that single big day for drawing shoppers into the centerpiece of a prolonged marketing campaign. Big deals pop up several days before – some will continue into Black Friday, others will change. Many retailers prefer to mix up their specials, often on short notice, to maximize the urgency of each.

“The notion of Black Friday has become a week-long event,” Sam Sisakhti, the founder of UsTrendy, a fashion retail website, said in a recent note. “This has rapidly evolved over the past few years as retailers look to squeeze additional revenue out of their stores with competitive discounts and other incentives.”

So our list of incredible deals encompasses Black Friday in the looser sense. Some are targeted for Friday specifically, some are pre-Friday deals that may or may not change before the weekend. Some are online only, others include the store. If something grabs you, check out the company websites for details. What’s consistent from the past few years: the marginally improved economy hasn’t stopped the Christmas discounting. Consumers, above all else, still want a deal.